516

C.W. McCARTHY.
2. (centre aligned)

Buckinghamshire, on the 28th December 1943, where he crewed up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft. Late in May 1944 he was posted to No. 5 Personnel Despatch Centre, Blackpool, for embarkation to the South East Asia Command. During July he underwent a course in jungle fighting at the Jungle School of Physical Training, and in August was posted to No. 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit, Kolar, Mysori, India, for conversion to Liberator aircraft. On the 3rd November he was posted to No. 355 Squadron at Galbami, and with this Squadron he took part in 18 operational flights, the targets including low level bombing and straffing of railways, marshalling yards, troop concentrations, aerodromes, gun positions, supply stores and dumps at Taungup, Jumbhorn, Kaunohmudaw, Myingyan, Korat, Martaban, Na-Nien, in Burman, and Bangkok, in Siam. Early in April 1945 W/O McCarthy was posted to No. 159 Squadron at Digri and from this base he took part in a further 8 operational flights, the targets including minelaying at Mergui, Prachuab, Girikhan, Kissering, and the Fell Passage; two low level bombing attacks on the Banpong-Singapore Railway; and an attack on Japanese installations and shipping in Satahib Bay in Thailand.

W/O McCarthy was a member of the crew of a Liberator bomber aircraft which took off on air operations on the 3rd August 1945 and failed to return to its base. All the members of the crew, including W/O McCarthy were classified as missing. Later it was reported that the disintegrated wreck of the aircraft had been located at Bigiang, Burma. In due course W/O McCarthy was officially presumed to have lost his life on the 3rd August 1945.

5/2/11953 AS2
509 hrs. as air gunner.

Mrs. V. McCarthy (M) (right aligned)
265 Mansfield Street, (right aligned)
Newtown, WELLINGTON (right aligned & city underlined)